Thursday, January 16, 2014

Do you hear what I hear?

Maybe not. Don’t assume that your speech audience understands your every word. You might want to use some different words when you repeat a point or summarize. The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines a modegreen as:

“A word or phrase that results from a mishearing of something said or sung.”

In December 2013 the Snopes.com web site had a page about The Red and The Mondegreen with misheard lyrics from Christmas carols including the opening line:

“Joy to the world, the lord has gum!”

Was that regular or sugar-free gum?

I just got another illustration of just how far off some listeners can stray. When the Master Calls the Roll is a song about the Civil War on Rosanne Cash’s new album The River & the Thread. You can watch a video of it performed live here or listen to the studio version here.

When I did a web search for the lyrics, I found many sites had copied the same silly version. Here’s the second half, with ten misheard words or phrases coralled inside square brackets:

"Chorus 2:[Know] Though the season may come[Know] Though the season may goBeware the storm clouds gatherTake [heat in warm of soul] heed dear mortal soulWhen the master calls the roll

But, can this union be preserved?The soldier boy was cryingI will never travel back to herBut not for lack of trying

It’s a love of one true [heart at last] hearted lassThat made the boy a heroBut a rifle ball and a cannon blastCut him down to zero

Oh Virginia [once] whence I cameI’ll see you when I’m youngerAnd I’ll know you by your hills againThis [town] time from six feet under

Chorus 3:[Know] Though the season may come[Know] Though the season may go[A man is] What man has torn asunder[But someday we may know] Will someday be made wholeWhen the master calls the roll

Final chorus:Though the storm clouds gatherLet the union be made wholeWhen the master calls the roll.”
Note that they got the final "Though" correct, but didn't think about whether all their preceding "[Know]s might be wrong.

About Me

This blog is about public speaking. The author is Richard I. Garber, ACS, a Toastmaster. From July 2008 to June 2010 he was Vice President-Education for Capitol Club Toastmasters in Boise, Idaho. Opinions expressed on this blog are those of the author alone, and are not the official positions of Toastmasters International, etc.
Richard is retired. He has over twenty years of experience as a consultant on failure analysis (figuring out why things busted or rusted) and a Ph.D. in Metallurgical Engineering & Materials Science.
His email is r_i_garber at hotmail.com

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We don’t necessarily believe what we write, and neither should you. Information furnished to you is for topical (external) use only. This information actually may not be worth any more than what you paid for it (nothing). The author may not even have been either sane (or sober) when he wrote it down and posted it. Don’t worry, be happy.